Disappointing
I wached the first 3 episodes to find childish scene by lead female actor, then later in another episode they speeded up a certain scene by this time it spoil it for me.Hou minghao is very talented in his acting but Ai mi isnt ready for a lead role due to her acting skills are not quite there. I would have carried on watching if it wasnt for these factors.
Was this review helpful to you?
Couldn't get through it...
It seems like a lot of the 10s here are foreign bot accounts. But I'm happy to see there are a lot of other reviews that agree with what I'm about to say...I tried this out of curiosity. They really did this drama a disservice by casting a minor as the FL. The action is good. The story is okay. I do see the potential and I want to like this which is why I didn't give it a 1. But I just can't unsee the lead's ages unfortunately. Ai Mi looks like a little girl to me and HMH looks his age, 28-29. I've seen Ai Mi in a handful of dramas before this. We've all watched her grow up and while I'm excited to see her debut as a FL, I wasn't able to stomach the ML being HMH. I felt similar to this watching Deng En Xi and Ding Yu Xi in Melody of a Golden Age as well knowing she was 19 and he was 29. But at least she wasn't a minor during filming. Ai Mi is still very clearly a young, innocent looking girl. So the romance they are trying to push with a grown man almost 30 just makes me sick when I see their scenes. I don't really care if she is playing a teenager in the drama because old men used to get with teenage girls during ancient times. This isn't ancient times anymore and we know it's gross and wrong now. There are so many historical dramas where they cast an older actress in a teen role. They could've done that here easily. And Ai Mi could've debuted in another drama alongside a ML closer to her age. Maybe a cute high school drama or something. Putting her in this situation just comes off as grooming behavior to me and knowing she was probably casted by pervy old men is not a mental hurtle I can overcome to finish watching this.
P.S. Doubling down on the pervy old men comment...I just watched the promotional event where the director himself tries to push a shiphood on us between a minor and 29 year old. He says in front of everyone that he thinks the two "developed real feelings during filming"! Gross! You can see the horror and disbelief on HMH's face. I felt so bad for him and the director should not have put him in that position. Again, this would not be as bad of a comment if Ai Mi was older. I'm currently watching Road to Success and most of these high school boys on the football team are played by 20 something year olds. You cannot tell at all.
Was this review helpful to you?
What did I Click?
I won’t even bother making a proper summary since I only watched up to Ep 3. So far all i can say to summarize the 3 episodes is that Xiao Wuyi the ML is the heir of the Duke and also a general commanding his own troops. He almost lost a battle due to bad weaponry, faked his own death to trap another prince who is responsible for the weapons forgery, whom ML suspects plotting a rebellion. The FL is the only daughter of a minister and mechanical craftman genius who is in love with another prince who turned out to be ML’s friend. ML returned to the capital and asked FL’s hand in marriage from the empress dowager who i assumed acting as regent cuz the emperor is constantly sick. Btw he only did this after he came to know that the rebel prince was eyeing to marry FL. While the ML is planning to trap the rebel prince, FL is busy planning her own escape from the marriage.First off, i only watched this for Aimee cuz I liked her performance in My Journey to You and Whispers of Fate. I have only seen Huo Minghao in I am Nobody, he was okay there but I was not really looking at him seriously. Basically I have a neutral impression of him, neither a hater nor a fan.
Anyway, the plot kinda threw me off right from the start. In any other shows, a general returning home pretending to be dead is akin to deceiving the emperor, so I failed to see how the heck ML just got away scott free without the empress dowager even questioning his reasons. He didnt look like a prominent figure with own faction in court other than being a general, so for him to get away with almost every nonsensical things he did was beyond me. The writer tried too hard to depict ML as ruthless and unhinged, and those dramatic entrances the ML did were waaaayyy too over the top complete with slow-mos and dramatic background music, every single time. The show incessantly try to shove this powerful image of the ML on the audience but instead of getting wowed, i got cringed.
I don’t know what’s wrong with the makeup department. Why does the makeup on Aimee looked foine as heck but horrible on Huo Minghao? Not only does the skintones are all over the place, it also looked cakey on ML. And was his original skintone too tanned that they had to put on pale foundation on him? I thought he’s a seasoned general, tanned skin is exactly what generals should look like, so why is he so pale here? There were many closeup shots of the ML so it is hard for me not to notice the bad makeup. He looked fine in I Am Nobody so I know he is good looking, so why does he look so weird and unappealing here?
Only episode 3 and the ML is already saving the emperor and stopped a rebellion, that was way too fast, man. Everything looks so hectic and rushed. The amount of ML’s dramatic entrances just put me off big time cuz they were too frequent and looked too exaggerated I just can’t stand to watch them for the next 25 episodes. Sorry Aimee, I can’t even stay for you or the plot.
Was this review helpful to you?
Minor with an adult romance.
Not supporting this drama. Such a bad choice to cast a minor lead with a grown adult. Lets stop normalizing this behavior. Ill never understand those who support this. The more we support it the more this will happen. Shame on everyone involved in this choice especially her parents. Give her an age appropriate drama. They couldnt of waited a couple more years??? Such a terrible choice. They did the ML dirty on this one. Hope he clarifes in the future he wants to act with ADULT costars in romance.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Warning before you read: If you're someone who believes age is "just acting" or you'll be upset that I dropped this drama solely because of the casting, this review probably isn't for you. This is my personal opinion as a viewer, and no amount of good writing, cinematography, or acting can make me overlook something that genuinely made me uncomfortable.Wow. I really wanted to like this drama. I started Key to the Phoenix Heart because of Hou Ming Hao and Ai Mi. I like Hou Ming Hao's work, and Ai Mi has proven herself to be an incredibly talented young actress. But no matter how hard I tried, I simply could not get over one fact: Ai Mi was literally a minor while filming this.
That completely changed the way I viewed every interaction between the leads. I don't care if the story is supposed to be romantic. I don't care if they don't kiss. I don't care how amazing the political plot supposedly becomes. When your female lead is still underage during production, and she's paired romantically with an adult male lead, that's where I personally draw the line. I made it through two episodes before I dropped it.
The biggest problem wasn't even the age gap itself. It was that they genuinely looked like siblings on screen. Every scene that was clearly trying to build romantic tension had the exact opposite effect on me. Instead of butterflies, I felt uncomfortable.
And before anyone says, "They're just acting." Yes, they are. That doesn't mean viewers have to be comfortable watching it. Casting is a choice. There were countless adult actresses who could have played Xie Jia Yu. Ai Mi is talented enough that she absolutely deserves leading roles, but she deserved to have those roles opposite someone closer to her own age while she was still a teenager. This is not a criticism of either actor. Hou Ming Hao did nothing wrong. Ai Mi did nothing wrong.
The responsibility lies with whoever thought pairing an adult male lead with a minor in a romance was an acceptable casting decision. That's what bothered me. The premise honestly sounds like something I'd normally enjoy: a political marriage, power struggles, rebellion, court intrigue, and two intelligent people forced into an alliance before falling in love. On paper, this should have been exactly my kind of historical drama. But chemistry is something I have to believe.
Instead, every time Xiao Wu Yi and Xie Jia Yu shared the screen, I couldn't stop thinking that she was still legally a child when these scenes were filmed. Once that thought entered my mind, there was no coming back from it. Maybe the writing improves. Maybe the romance becomes convincing. Maybe the political storyline is incredible. I'll never know, because I couldn't make it past Episode 2. Some viewers may have no issue with this casting and genuinely enjoy the drama, and that's perfectly their choice. It just wasn't mine. For me, this wasn't a matter of preference; it was a matter of principle. There are certain casting decisions that immediately take me out of a story, and this was one of them.
I hate dropping dramas this early, especially one starring actors I genuinely like. But sometimes a drama loses you before the story even has a chance to begin. Unfortunately, Key to the Phoenix Heart did exactly that. No matter how promising the plot may be, I cannot overlook the fact that the central romance was filmed with a minor opposite an adult male lead. That is a casting decision I simply cannot support.
Was this review helpful to you?
Combo explosivo: acción, romance e intrigas políticas.
¡Qué gran serie! La trama es trepidante, se saborea lentamente sin aburrir, sin meter prisa. Los personajes están muy bien creados, los actores, fantásticos en sus papeles, sobre todo Hou Minghao como Xiao Wuji... ¡Es tan imponente, y tiene una aura y una elegancia increíbles! Wuji es un personaje complejo, con muchas aristas, a lo largo de estos 8 capítulos vamos conociendolo poco a poco más de su vida, y es realmente fascinante. La dinámica con el personaje de Aimi, me encanta, se nota la calidad actoral de los dos. La dirección, es muy buena. Totalmente recomendable.Was this review helpful to you?
Épica y emocionante.
Personajes tridimensionales, muy bien contruídos. La trama es trepidante, hay romance, humor y acción.El talentoso Hou Minghao da vida al carismático general Wuji. Su matizada interpretación, con su maravillosa expresividad, es increíble. Un actor al servicio de su personaje. Aimi, tambien es una actriz muy talentosa, con gran futuro. Hacen una pareja genial: amigos y amantes.
Was this review helpful to you?
El entrenimiento chino debería tener más series como "Key to the Phoenix Heart"
Tiene un regusto antiguo, es como una novela caballeresca al estilo oriental. El personaje de Wuji tiene unos valores y principios admirables, es imposible no amar a este personaje interpretado magistralmente por Hou Minghao. Asimismo cada personaje está perfectamente desarrollado, todos tienen sus propias inquietudes y sueños.La historia la saboreas capítulo a capítulo. Felicitaciones a la guionista.
Destacar tambien la dirección y el vestuario, que es magestuoso.
Was this review helpful to you?
Trama trepidante, grandes actuaciones.
Siempre es un placer ver las series de Hou Minghao, y "Key to the Phoenix Heart", no es la excepción. Ha vuelto a sorprenderme con otro personaje carismático. ¡Xiao Wuji, es tan fascinante y complejo!... Es peligroso y violento en el campo de batalla, o con sus rivales; pero es protector con los suyos. Es misterioso y un poco inaccesible, pero poco a poco se van desvelando más detalles sobre su vida, su historia....Me encanta su química con el personaje de Xie Jiayu, tienen momentos cómicos muy divertidos y su historia de amor romántico, me gusta mucho.
La estética de la serie es magnífica, me encanta el vestuario, sobre todo las armaduras militares.
Felicitar al guionista, es agradable ver una serie original tan bien escrita.
Was this review helpful to you?
Buen guíon, con un electo de primera
Pocas veces me quedo viendo los créditos iniciales, pero sólo con esa introducción tan expectacular, ya me quedé enganchada a la serie. ¡Qué historia tan bonita y que bien están construídos los personajes! Hacía tiempo que no me gustaba tanto un personaje como Wuji. Su comportamiento, esa fachada fría e indiferente creada para los de fuera, pero cuando lo conoces ves su corazón. Es un personaje muy inteligente y talentoso, igual que Jiayu, los dos son iguales, y me encanta su historia de amor. Los personajes femeninos son fuertes, cada una tiene su historia. El vestuario es precisoso, y las escenas de acción son increíbles.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Un drama ingiustamente mutilato
Non posso non dare a questo drama un 8.5 pieno, perché mi ha letteralmente tenuta incollata allo schermo dall'inizio alla fine. Era da tempo che non provavo quell'ansia bellissima di aspettare con i minuti contati l'uscita degli episodi ogni giorno: mi ha fatto piangere, ridere, arrabbiare e battere il cuore. Quando una storia riesce a trasmetterti emozioni così forti, premiarla è il minimo!I due protagonisti, Xiao Wuyi e Xie Jiayu, sono stati semplicemente straordinari. Vanno fatti grandissimi elogi a Hou Minghao e Ai Mi: nonostante tutti i paletti e le pesanti limitazioni imposte dal montaggio, le loro interpretazioni sono state così intense, mature e profonde da rendere vivi, veri e tangibili sia i loro personaggi che il loro amore. Hanno fatto un lavoro magnifico d'intesa, sguardi e presenza scenica.
Una menzione d'onore sproporzionata va alla dinamica all'interno della residenza! All'inizio Xie Jiayu entra in casa convinta di dover convivere con le altre consorti di Xiao Wuyi, ma non appena scopre che Yu Ruisheng e He Yuanji sono in realtà solo "finte mogli", la rivalità lascia il posto a una complicità pazzesca. Insieme alla protagonista hanno formato un trio semplicemente perfetto: veder nascere e crescere quell'inaspettata e genuina sorellanza tra loro tre è stato uno degli elementi più freschi, divertenti e strepitosi di tutta la serie! I cattivi poi erano strutturati benissimo, credibili e con un peso reale nella storia.
Le uniche note stonate sul cast le metto su Li Mao e sua sorella Li Lejun. Lui l'ho trovato decisamente troppo bipolare nel suo percorso, mentre la sorella pecca di una stupidità e di un'ingenuità che ho faticato a sopportare. È vero che verso la fine si sacrifica, ma per quanto mi riguarda il suo crimine resta troppo grande per avere redenzione: ha ucciso la madre della protagonista, Li Fuhua, e una cosa del genere non la cancelli con un gesto estremo all'ultimo minuto per far pietà allo spettatore.
E poi, ragazzi... le scene di battaglia! Tutte perfette, nessuna esclusa. Hou Minghao in questi ruoli marziali e potenti è una garanzia assoluta, ha una presenza scenica pazzesca e lo scontro finale contro il Re dell'Aquila è stato puro cinema!
L'unica vera amarezza—e qui lo dico con un po' di dente avvelenato—sono i tagli. È un peccato mortale vedere come un lavoro con una scrittura così solida, articolata e complessa sia stato mutilato per colpa delle solite polemiche sterili della vigilia e della paura della piattaforma. Far passare una storia del genere da 40 a 28 episodi è stato un mezzo massacro immeritato. Sono convintissima che, con i suoi episodi naturali e il respiro che si meritava, Key to the Phoenix Heart avrebbe potuto essere tranquillamente il drama dell'anno o quantomeno giocarsela ad armi pari con un colosso come Pursuit of Jade.
Resta comunque una perla che mi ha fatto vivere settimane intense. Promosso a pieni voti!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
